Counting On You - A Naruto Murder Mystery
by mayachu111
Summary: Set in the ever-so-peaceful Konoha Manor, everything seemed fine. That is, until Sakura was murdered. Now the residents of Konoha Manor must work together to find out who killed Sakura, and why. A bit of horror and swearing in the later chapters so I'm rating this T just in case
1. Chapter 1

**Okay! Well, this is my first fan fiction I've ever written, and I must say, this is a lot of fun! I apologise for any OOCness or things that don't make sense. But anyway, lets proceed with the story!**

**-DISCLAIMER-**

**I do not own Naruto or its characters (if I did, let's say that there would be a lot more romance)  
**

All was fine in Konoha Manor, the atmosphere was happy and all seemed peaceful.

Naruto was enjoying a bowl of ramen, Sasuke was busy appreciating the view from the west wing of the manor, Shikamaru was relaxing in one of the many gardens watching the clouds drift by, Choji was ransacking the fridge, Team 8 were out on a peaceful walk and Ino was busy styling her hair in her luxurious room.

But where was Sakura?

An ear-piercing scream sounded throughout the hallways and corridors and startled everyone in the manor. Tsunade, the owner of the gargantuan house, rushed out and gathered everyone in the main lobby.

"Everybody's here? Good. OK let's get down to- Wait. Where's Sakura?"

A look of terror washed over everyone's faces.

"EVERYBODY SPLIT UP AND LOOK FOR SAKURA NOW"

Splitting up, the residents of Konoha Manor frantically searched everywhere for their missing pink-haired friend.

"KYAAAAAAAAAA! SAKURAAAAAAA!" shrieked Ino. Everyone responded immediately and rushed over to the east wing of the manor. They found her sobbing and weeping in front of the lifeless body of Sakura in the Library. The foul and rusty stench of blood wafted through the room and sickened everyone present.

"Who? W-who? Could have done-" Ino burst into tears again while Shikamaru kneeled down to comfort the weeping girl who was greatly upset over the death of her best friend. Naruto looked down, clenching his teeth, trying to hold in flaming anger, but it was no help.

"GRAAAAAHHHH GOD DAMNIT! IF ONE OF US WAS WITH SAKURA THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED!" screamed Naruto, his eyes welling up with tears. Most people were shocked by the blonde's sudden outburst, but Tsunade stayed calm.

"Every one, get a hold of yourselves, we won't progress if we keep the death of Sakura prominent in our minds. We need to investigate to find out just who the killer is," stated Tsunade.

"Tsunade baa-chan is right. If we keep dwelling on this current situation, we'll never find out who the murderer is," declared Shikamaru.

Choji agreed but it was hard to hear, as he was gorging himself on chips that he stole from the pantry.

"Right let's get to work!" exclaimed Tsunade in an oddly cheerful tone.

But little did they know, a figure stood outside the Library, smirking, as s/he was very happy with themselves.

A few hours later, everyone was busy searching for clues that lead to who the killer was. Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke were assigned the investigation of the body, while Ino, Choji and Tsunade were examining the Library.

All of a sudden, the doors to the Library swung open and revealed three very concerned looking people. They were none other than Shino, Kiba and Hinata. They all took a moment to take in the sight of what lay before them.

"W-w-what h-happened to S-Sakura-chan?" stammered Hinata, her face pale as snow, and her light lavender eyes were full of shock and astonishment.

"This can't be happening! This is Sakura Haruno we're talking about here! She wouldn't possibly let herself get killed without putting up a fight!" shouted Kiba, while Akamaru whined in sadness. Shino as usual said nothing, but everyone could tell he was surprised, even though his unemotional face showed no expression what-so-ever.

Tsunade stood up and cleared her throat.

"As you can see, it is quite obvious that Sakura has... Passed on," said Tsunade sternly. "We are currently investigating the crime scene and it would be of great use of you to help us."

Team 8 gulped simultaneously and reluctantly agreed to help the other residents of Konoha Manor.

"Hang on guys, I think we've got something." Shikamaru proceeded to show a fragment of dark blue clothing caught on one of the nails that were sticking out on the floorboards.

Sasuke smirked. "Thank goodness we've never bothered to repair the floorboards."

"That is a very useful find, thank you, you three," smiled Tsunade. "But, let's keep going. Sasuke, store that piece of clothing in one of the sandwich bags in the kitchen." Sasuke nodded and headed off to the kitchen to store the evidence.

Wandering around the many bookshelves, something glinting caught Ino's eye. She rushed over to the mysterious object, to find a knife covered in dried blood. The murder weapon. Apparently, the murderer was careless enough to leave the knife lying around. Ino's face beamed with happiness, she finally found something that contributed to bringing the killer to justice! She held the kitchen knife in her hand examining it with great fascination. Ino always loved murder mysteries, she always found them so interesting.

"Hey guys! I found the murder weapon!" exclaimed Ino.

"Ino, are you wearing gloves?" asked Tsunade.

"Eeerrr... No?"

"DROP IT NOW."

"Eep!" Ino dropped the knife in shock. She forgot one of the most crucial parts in finding evidence in a crime scene: Always. Wear. Gloves.

Ino gaped at her stupidity. After all those crime novels she read, after all those episodes of NCIS and CSI she forgot. To. Wear. Gloves.

"I-I'm sorry!" Ino was beginning to sound more like Hinata now because of sheer embarrassment.

"It's ok. But Ino? Remember to wear gloves next time," reminded Tsunade. _**Gloves. **_Ino hated that word now. Those, those THINGS that were so easy to forget, yet crucial to any part of an investigation. She sighed and dragged herself over towards the others to see what the others had found.

"I found traces of a strange white powder scattered around Sakura-chan's head earlier on and I'm wondering if the killer drugged her somehow. I don't know how, but it has to be some kind of drug, right? I mean, Sakura wouldn't have been caught off guard any other way," said Naruto.

"That's true, a girl of Sakura's skill would never be caught off guard. I should know," confirmed Tsunade. "Anything else?"

"Well, we know about the scrap of clothing we found on the floor," said Sasuke, holding up the sandwich bag containing the piece of fabric.

"And the knife," said Ino holding up the weapon _wearing gloves_.

Shikamaru was deep in thought. "Hrmmm… So from what I gather, the killer drugged Sakura-chan somehow, and while Sakura was unconscious or in whatever state she was in, the killer took that chance and struck. But how did the murderer drug her? I just don't get it! If he gave the drug to her in a drink, there wouldn't be any traces of it left! But there isn't any other logical way though... He couldn't have thrown it at her, that's just plain stupid!"

Tsunade took this into account. She knew that Shikamaru was right but how else would the killer drug her? It was very confusing. She shook the thought of it out of her head, as it was getting late and everybody needed some sleep.

The next morning, Naruto got up early and went to the kitchen to make some ramen for breakfast. The pantries were always stocked up with everyone's favourite foods as well as some other necessary ingredients. He scratched his head as he grabbed a packet of instant miso ramen and lazily made his way across to the microwave. He yawned as he waited for his ramen to cook, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Sakura standing across from him in front of the kitchen counter with her head down. Naruto thought that he was just tired but when Sakura didn't go away he started to get really worried. He was horrified when he saw Sakura lift her head revealing a bloodied face and a maniacal grin. Her eyes seemed to sink into their eye sockets; her face splattered with fresh blood and her mouth was twisted into a smile of a madwoman. Worst of all, underneath her red shirt a pool of dark red blood began to form, growing and growing until half of her shirt was soaked in blood.

"GYAAAAAHHHHH!" Naruto jumped back and Sasuke entered the kitchen.

"I swear if this has something to do with ramen I am going to- HOLY CRAP!" 'Sakura' turned her head around to face Sasuke and the colour drained from his skin. He started trembling and shaking as 'Sakura' faced him with her crazy grin and her blood soaked shirt. It's a rare sight to see Sasuke this scared and he seldom showed fear anyway, but this was different. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke screamed and tried to run but his feet just didn't want to listen. The other residents came rushing into the kitchen to see what all the screaming was about, but when they saw 'Sakura', they stopped in their tracks. Hinata turned a new shade of green, while Ino stammered and stuttered trying to get her words past her lips.

_"Well now that you're all here, let me tell you something," _

END CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

**-DISCLAIMER-  
I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

**Okay! New chapter! Sorry for the long wait… It's kind of a short chapter but whatever. Anyways, enjoy!**

_"Well now that you're all here, let me tell you something," '_Sakura' said. She spoke in a creepy manner, as her voice was nothing more than a memory of herself and did not exist (in a way). She continued to speak, _"The person who killed me, is someone amongst yourselves."_

Everyone gasped. Whispers of astonishment and fear were heard while many people were still recovering from shock.

_"Now let's wrap this up, shall we? I'll be visiting a few of you lucky people tonight in your dreams, so stay tuned!" _And with that, she vanished into thin air.

-X-

Sakura's visit definitely had a strong impact on people as it was the No. 1 topic in Konoha Manor, and people just couldn't stop talking about it!

"Who could it be?"

"Loads of people wear dark blue, it could be anyone!"

"I'm really scared! The killer could strike again."

"Who's Sakura going to visit tonight? I certainly hope it's not me."

As people got ready for bed, still a bit traumatised from the morning's 'little' incident, they were anxious as they were clueless about who the 'lucky' residents were. Many attempts at pulling all-nighters failed, and eventually everyone fell into a deep slumber.

Naruto and Shikamaru were the first to be visited by Sakura, as she appeared in their dreams. Tossing and turning, both males were having a hard time sleeping as Sakura was playing events back in their mind. In Naruto's head, he was experiencing the first part of the murder from Sakura's point of view.

His feet wouldn't move from the spot he was in, and he was momentarily frozen in place as the killer closed in to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't make out any details or facial features of the killer, which was a great let down. But one thing was clear. He knew that Sakura was rooted to the spot for a reason, but he didn't know what it was. It felt like... Shock.

Naruto woke up in a cold sweat and knew that he had a vital piece of information, thanks to dead Sakura.

Meanwhile in Shikamaru's head, he was getting the second part of the treatment. Starting from where Naruto had left off, he could instantly feel the terror and surprise flowing through Sakura as he was rooted to the spot. But Shikamaru noticed something missing. Something that was so easy to miss. It was just something that the killer laid out to throw them off track. And in an instant, Sakura was killed with a stab to the heart, and Shikamaru awoke with a scream.

-X-

Ino was the last of the victims, and as Sakura's best friend, she received a special message.

_"I'm counting on you and the others Ino."_

"But wait, Sakura! Can't you just tell me who killed you?"

_"I'm sorry, I can't. The killer placed a seal on me after I died so I couldn't tell anyone who killed me in the afterlife."_

"But how am I going to find out who did this to you?!"

_"Don't worry, the other two have two vital hints as to who killed me."_

"The other two? Who are they?"

_"Naruto and Shikamaru."_

"Shikamaru? Why him of all people?"

_"I left him a hint that nobody would have noticed it except for him." _Sakura paused for a moment and looked down sadly_. _

_"Well I guess this is goodbye Ino, remember you are my best friend and I have always treasured my moments with you, as they are some of my best memories. Remember that fight at the Chūnin exams? I enjoyed that battle the most as it brought back so many wonderful memories. Dead or alive, I will always treasure you in my heart, and don't forget, I'm counting on you and the others."_

"WHA- PLEASE! DON'T GO! JUST- PLEASE... Please stay... I-I can't live without you," Ino burst into tears.

_"Don't worry I will always be in your heart and your memories. Farewell Ino, I hope to see you again someday."_

And with that, the dream ended, Sakura was gone forever and Ino lay there sobbing on her bed until sunrise.

-X-

Early the next morning, Tsunade gathered everybody in the main lobby.

They were all there, except for three people.

"Hey Tsunade baa-chan? Where are Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino? Do you think they were the ones?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, I don't see a reason why they're not."

As if on cue, Naruto and Shikamaru both walked in to the lobby with tired looks on their faces, yawning and groaning.

"You two certainly look happy," chuckled Kiba, smiling at his own comment.

"Shut up Kiba, we didn't ask you to say anything," Naruto grumbled, very annoyed by the dog lover's attitude.

"Troublesome. Sakura visited us last night. Actually she didn't visit us at all, she just played events over in our heads. It was a re-enactment, *yawn*, of the murder," Shikamaru said sleepily, rubbing his eyes and trying to fully wake up. Everyone else started to chatter with a zealous vibe, fuelled by the hope and excitement of finding out who the killer just was. But stopping everybody's chatter, Naruto butted in.

"Actually, we didn't see the murderer's face, which was a major let down, but we both managed to find two key pieces of information, but lets wait until Ino gets here, otherwise she'll get left out."

"GUYS!"

Ino came rushing down the main staircase, her voice portraying pure excitement but her face seemed to tell a different story. Tear streaks stained her skin, while her eyes were bloodshot and her long eyelashes were crusted together in large clumps. It was obvious that she had been crying a lot.

"Ino! Where have you been? We were so worried about you! You look terrible," Tsunade exclaimed, her emotions a mix of relief, happiness and anger, but then soon went on to ask the girl what information she obtained last night.

"Never mind that, Ino, what did Sakura tell you when she came?"

"A message. She said that she was counting on us all and that I would always be in her heart." Memories of last night flooded back and gave Ino the challenge of holding back tears.

"SO WE CAN'T GIVE UP! WE _**HAVE**_ TO BRING WHOEVER DID THIS TO SAKURA TO JUSTICE!" she screamed. The crowed cheered in agreement and were set with a new sense of determination.

"For Sakura..." mumbled Naruto as he hung his head down and smiled at the floor, memories of his years training as a Genin coming back. "For Sakura..."

-X-

After everyone had settled down, Naruto and Shikamaru proceeded to tell the others what had happened last night. As Naruto experienced the first part if the murder, he went first.

"Ah well, I'll try to explain the dream the best I can, here goes. I was experiencing it from Sakura's point of view and I was rooted to the spot for some reason. I don't know what it was, but it felt like she was in shock or in fear. So it seems that Sakura really DID get caught off guard... Oh! And another thing, I couldn't make out the killer at all, even though I was standing right in front of him. He just looked like a shadow... I couldn't even see any traces of blue clothing anywhere." Naruto hung his head in disappointment.

"And my dream stopped just as the killer was closing in on me. Talk about cliff-hangers..."

"Well, I can tell you what happened after that, as my dream started where yours left off," said Shikamaru. " When my dream started, I was in Sakura's position. Already I could feel the shock coursing through my body, it was not pleasant. So anyway, I saw the killer close in on me, and bam, just like that Sakura was dead and I woke up screaming."

Shikamaru smirked. "It was a very short dream, but there's something missing, do you know what it was?" Everyone was clueless, even Tsunade, and soon they were trying to pry the answer out of Shikamaru.

"You really don't know? Well, I guess it _is _a bit hard to pick up. There were no drugs at all. It was just a scam to throw us off track and that would also explain why the drugs were scattered _around _Sakura's head_._ Well, whoever the perpetrator is, they were pretty smart to think up that trick, but it won't fool me," he said, winking while tapping the side of his forehead with his finger.

"Damnit, he didn't fall for it!" thought the killer who was playing along with the act. "I need something else, but what…?"

END CHAPTER TWO

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review, favourite and follow! Goodbye and stay tuned for the next chapter!~**


	3. Chapter 3

**-X-**

**DISCLAIMER**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

**-X-**

**Hello again! This is the third chapter of my first fan-fiction: Counting On You! This is a moderately short chapter though but whatever. Anyways, on with the story! Enjoy!**

-X-

"It's come to this. We need to interrogate suspects as soon as possible," said Tsunade, eyeing a few nervous looking people in the room. "Room inspections will also be held at noon, any questions?"  
Hinata raised a trembling hand. "Ahh, Tsunade-sama? W-will all of us b-be interrogated?"  
"Unfortunately, yes. It will be tedious, but nevertheless, this has to be done."  
Those present in the room fell silent, as for many people, this was their first serious interrogation.  
"I'll give you 5 minutes to go to the bathroom and have a break, until then, meet in the Drawing Room," Tsunade spoke up, grabbing a notebook and a pen from the nearby drawer.

-X-

One by one, the residents of Konoha Manor walked casually into the mansion's Drawing Room. It was a fairly large room, with beautiful lime green floral print wallpaper complimenting elegant Victorian era furniture. Once everyone was there, Tsunade walked up and introduced three new visitors.  
"I've brought three residents from the Suna Manor to help interrogate and make sure everything is in order. On the left, we have Gaara, on the right, Kankuro, and in the middle, we have Temari. Gaara, if you'd please."  
"Hello. I'm going to lead the interrogations, as Tsunade-sama is also going to be queried. I have the questions memorised in my head so you can't peek and devise answers. We are interrogating one person at a time, so Kankuro and Temari are going to escort you outside into the lobby until it's your turn. Any questions?" No one spoke up.  
"Ok, let's start."

-X-

"Who's going first?" Tsunade asked. As predicted, nobody volunteered.  
"I suspected this would happen, so I wrote your names down and put them in this hat." She reached down in to the hat and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and frowned. "Me." She groaned and sat down in one of the vintage chairs, while Temari and Kankurou escorted the others out. Gaara and Tsunade were left alone with each other in a very awkward situation. Tsunade shattered the silence, wanting to finish this quickly, her dark brown eyes avoiding contact with Gaara's aquamarine ones.  
"Hrmph, lets get going before things become... Even more awkward."  
"Very well. First question. Tsunade-sama, where were you at the time of the murder?"  
"I was in my room, top floor, west wing, organising paper work when I heard a scream."  
"How do I know you're not lying?"  
"One, I would never lie to a person of the Suna Manor and two, I would never, ever hurt my student."  
"Fair enough. When was the last time you saw Sakura?"  
"She told me that she was going to the Library to read and relax. I didn't know that would have been the last time I would have been able to see my student alive..." Tsunade looked at the floor in regret.  
"If only I'd known."  
Gaara paused to sympathise for the poor woman, when he snapped back to reality and realised he had a job to do.  
"Let's move on. Next question, have you had any recent conflicts with Sakura?"  
"No, she's always been a loyal and obedient student to me, she'd never anger me."  
"Okay, this is the last question, what motives do you think other suspects would have had to kill Sakura?"  
"The only thing I can think about is that Ino may have had a secret hatred for Sakura all these years, but I know Ino has a good heart and would never kill her best friend. Put her in life support maybe, but never kill."  
"Thank you Tsunade-sama for your information. You may leave."  
Tsunade exited the Drawing Room to pull out the next name from the hat.

-X-

Time passed, and soon there was all but one person left. Ino. She sighed and dragged herself over to Gaara and sat on a very comfy chair.  
"Ino-chan, you are the last one, correct?"  
"Yes." Gaara proceeded to ask Ino the same questions. Once more, just once more, and he was done.  
"Ino, where were you at the time of the murder?"  
"I was in my room, second floor, west wing, brushing my hair."  
"How do I know that you aren't lying?"  
Ino looked appalled at hearing that question.  
"How do you know I'm not lying?! I'm her best friend, the first person to befriend her mind you, made sure she was happy with her looks and supported her for her whole life! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT I WOULD KILL HER?" Gaara looked slightly scared. This girl was almost as scary as Temari, no wonder Shikamaru told him to be careful of her.  
"Er... I believe you! I believe you! Please calm down. Ino, I know this is a lot to take in but we need as much information as possible."  
"Fine. Next question then."  
"When was the last time you saw Sakura?"  
"She walked past my room on the way to the library and said hi. That was it. I didn't even get to say goodbye." She was close to tears. "All those times when we were younger, playing in the flower fields, running around making flower crowns- I-I didn't even say goodbye to my best friend. " Ino burst into heavy sobs. Gaara knew that tears would be inevitable in these situations, so he was prepared.  
"Ino, why don't you have a rest for a few minutes? We need to keep going so we can finish this, alright?"  
Ino nodded and blew her nose with a tissue and rubbed her eyes. "O-Okay, I think I'm good now."

"Good to hear. Have you had any recent conflicts with Sakura?"

"We fought over the hairbrush and who got to use the bathroom first, but that's it. That wasn't much help was it?"

"Well, now we know that you're innocent. Now, this is a very, very important question. What motives do you think other residents might have had to kill Sakura?"

Ino thought for a long moment. She couldn't think of anyone sane who would _dare _harm Sakura. No one at all.

"No, I can't think of anything."

"Oh well, thank you for cooperating with me, you were a great help!" Gaara smiled. Ino said her goodbyes and left the drawing room, and Gaara released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

-X-

"The interrogations are over, now it's time for room inspections!" sang Temari enthusiastically. "Gaara, Kankurou and I are going to operate the inspections, while you lead us to your room. Don't worry about showing us around, we won't miss anything!"

"Temari? Our rooms are very, very big. What if you miss a small, but crucial detail?" Kiba asked, not knowing what was in store for him. Temari's enthusiastic demeanour darkened and she gave Kiba a death stare. "_I said, we wouldn't miss anything._" Kiba started quivering and stepped back mumbling an 'O-okay lady, I believe you'.

"Great! Now that's settled, lets get moving people! Who's going to show me their room first?"

"Don't worry about that Temari, I've still got the names in the hat," said Tsunade, shaking a vintage hat. She stuck her hand in carefully selecting a scrap of paper. "Okay, let's see... Shino! You're going first."

As usual, Shino didn't utter a word, and headed up the stairs towards the east wing leading the three Suna residents.

-X-

"I have to admit, they are pretty good," said Shino quietly, holding up a jar filled with bugs. "They even found my secret stash in one of the floor boards."

Temari started beaming with pride until Kankurou hit her on the head while muttering 'bitch' in a very annoyed tone.

She gave him a scornful look while rubbing her head. He could've sworn he heard her calling him a 'dickbutt'.

"Ok, now lets move on to the next person... Ino!" said Tsunade with a smile. Knowing that she had nothing to hide, Ino lead Gaara and the others up to her bedroom in the west wing.

-X-

Up in Ino's bedroom, Gaara, Kankurou and Temari were searching everywhere for a scrap of evidence. It was very hard as Ino's bedroom was massive. Timber floorboards gave the room a comfortable look while the cream coloured wallpaper made the room seem cosy, despite how big it actually was. Gold embellishments cascaded from the top corners of the room down to the bottom and the elegant furniture made the room look like it was fit for a queen. A luxurious four-poster bed stood at the back of the bedroom while a polished dressing table was covered with nail polish; make up, accessories and hairbrushes. The room had one window, but the view was absolutely spectacular. The patio where Shikamaru dozed off and watched the clouds was in perfect view where hedges that were trimmed with great precision were encircling the main area where beautiful flowers of all kinds hung from arches in wire pots. It was breathtaking.

Temari spotted a loose floorboard under Ino's bed and started to unhinge it and find whatever was hidden in there. "_Oh no!_" thought Ino. "_They're going to find the stash of pictures I have of Shikamaru!_" She blushed, as she knew that Temari also had a crush on him.

"What's this?"

Ino cringed. She knew that she had found them. But instead, Temari held up a pair of blue pants with a small tear in the hem.

-X-

END CHAPTER 3

-X-


	4. Chapter 4

X-

**DISCLAIMER**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

-X-

**Hello!**

**Here we have it, the second last chapter of my first fan fiction: Counting On You**

**I'm sorry for the long wait, I had school and stuff. And I'm sorry this is a very short chapter, but I just didn't know what to write!**

**Anyways, on with the story!**

-X-

Hanging from Temari's fingers were a pair of blue pants with a small tear in the hem. "W-what's that?" stuttered Ino. "Where are the p-pic- Wha-?"

Temari and Kankuro gave her a disgusted look. "You! Out of all people, would kill Sakura!" shouted Kankuro.

"B-but I didn't! You've got it all wrong! Somebody framed me! Please believe me!"

"No, it's obvious you did it, there's no point in denying it."

Temari and Kankuro continued to argue with Ino, while Gaara didn't utter a word. "Something's not right," he thought. "It doesn't seem logical."

-X-

Everybody gaped at Ino in surprise, slowly backing away from her just in case. She looked to the ground avoiding eye contact, her eyes glistening with tears while other people whispered things about her. "I-I just want to say something, w-whether you believe me or not. I- I was framed," stuttered Ino. As predicted, sceptical looks were directed at her, as nobody believed the accused. Except for Gaara.

"Ino... We have no choice but to make you stay with someone responsible at all times, until we can do something else," said Tsunade.

"I know..." replied Ino. "But who would want to stay with me? Everybody thinks I'm a killer."

"I don't mind."

Everybody turned their heads in shock at the person who volunteered. At the back of the crowd stood Shikamaru who started walking slowly towards her. Inside her head, Inner Ino was squealing with excitement. "_HAHA! TAKE THAT TEMARI, I GOT HIM FIRST! VICTORYYY!" _

But in reality, Ino shakily nodded her head. "T-Thanks Shika. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. As long as you don't bug me too much."

Tsunade cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem. Just a reminder, everybody steer clear of Ino for the time being."

Ino denied this but she couldn't do anything to change their minds.

-X-

In the garden outside Ino's window was a certain lazy teen staring at the clouds on a freshly mowed patch of grass and beside him was the supposed murderer of Sakura Haruno. They were silent for a long time, being preoccupied by cloud gazing and flower crown making when Shikamaru broke the silence. "I know you didn't kill her."

"Huh?" said a startled Ino.

"I know you didn't kill Sakura. And I don't think you'll be killing your number one crush anytime soon."

"I-I what?! How did you-"

"I'm not blind Ino, I see you everyday ogling me from your window. I just chose to not address it because it's too troublesome."

Ino turned a shade of red that would have made Hinata, the queen of blushing, impressed. "I- um..." Shikamaru broke the trail of gibberish that was leaving Ino's mouth with a light kiss on the lips.

"There's no need to say anything, I don't mind it at all."

"_YES! I STOLE HIS HEART!_" squealed Inner Ino, while in reality she just gave a crooked smile.

"But how did you know I didn't kill Sakura?"

"You're one of my best friends and I know you don't have the heart to kill someone. Plus, I know you wouldn't have thought of pulling off the drug scheme, it was too advanced to fit into your level of academics."

Ino gave a hurt look and pouted.

They went back to awkward silence, cloud gazing and flower crown making.

But in the shadows was a figure silently watching them. "He knows too much," he/she thought. "I have to so something."

-X-

Later that night, the sleepy residents of Konoha Manor headed off to their rooms. Ino was forced to stay in her bedroom with the doors locked at all times, much to her annoyance. But as Shikamaru crawled under his blankets to get a good nights rest, two arms grabbed him. He caught a glimpse if the perpetrator's face and the last thing he thought was "Of course!" before he was knocked out.

-X-

At midnight, Naruto was lazily wandering around the manor trying to get to the kitchen, when he passed the Library and heard some muffled screams. He peeked through the large wooden double doors and saw a trickle of blood streaming down the timber floorboards. Tracing the stream of blood to its source, he saw a familiar teen struggling in someone's arms. Shikamaru. Naruto gasped and ran pushed the heavy doors apart. "SHIKAMARU! HANG IN THERE! I'LL SAVE YOU!" A large cut ran across Shikamaru's neck trickling blood down his t-shirt, while a knife hung mid air above his chest. "Oh well, well, well, what do we have here?" taunted the mystery person. Naruto looked above Shikamaru and saw a familiar pair of pale lavender eyes, so familiar, yet partially unrecognisable. He slowly stepped back, shaking with each step.

"I-It can't b-be-" he said, his face displaying pure shock. "H-Hinata?"

-X-

END CHAPTER 4

-X-

And there we have it! The second last chapter of Counting On You! Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review, favourite and follow! Goodbye and stay tuned!


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